1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for recognizing working position of a device transfer apparatus in a semiconductor test handler, and more particularly, to a method for recognizing working position of a device transfer apparatus, which is capable of rapidly and correctly recognizing and resetting the working position for trays and change kits used as replacement parts when other kinds of semiconductor devices are tested.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, semiconductor devices whose manufacturing processes have been completed in production lines are tested so as to determine whether semiconductor devices are good or defective before shipment.
A handler is an apparatus for testing these semiconductor devices. While the semiconductor devices loaded into trays are automatically transferred between processes using an apparatus for transferring semiconductor devices, the semiconductor devices are installed in a test socket of a test site and then a desired test is performed. Then, the semiconductor devices are classified into several grades according to the test results, and processes of again unloading them into the trays are repeatedly performed.
FIG. 1 is an exemplary view showing the construction of a handler. Referring to FIG. 1, a loading part 2 and an unloading part 3 are installed in a front side of a handler body 1. The loading part 2 loads trays which to-be-tested semiconductor devices are received therein. The unloading part 3 is provided with a plurality of trays which classify test-completed semiconductor devices into good productions or to-be-retested productions according to the test results and reload semiconductor devices into the trays. In addition, a soaking plate 7 with a heater (not shown) and a cooler (not shown) is provided in a rear side of the loading portion 2 to heat or cool the to-be-tested semiconductor devices to a predetermined temperature during a temperature test.
A reject multi-stacker 5 into which a plurality of trays are loaded is provided in a rear side of the unloading part 3 so as to receive the semiconductor devices classified defective into the trays thereof according to the grades.
Test sockets 11 are installed in a test site 10 disposed at a rearmost position of the handler body 1. The test sockets 11 are electrically connected with an external test apparatus and test performances of the semiconductor devices. First and second index heads 12a and 12b movable in left and right directions are equipped over the test sockets 11. The first and second index heads 12a and 12b pick up the semiconductor device transferred to standby positions of both sides of the test sockets 11 to load them into the test socket 11, and at the same time, they picks up the test-completed semiconductor devices to move them to the standby positions.
First and second shuttles 8a and 8b movable in forward and backward directions are installed right before the test site 10. The first and second shuttles 8a and 8b receive the semiconductor devices from the loading portion 2 or the soaking plate 7 and supply them to the standby positions disposed at both of the test sockets 11 of the test site 10. In addition, third and fourth shuttles 9a and 9b movable in forward and backward directions are installed in each one side of the first and second shuttles 8a and 8b. The third and fourth shuttles 9a and 9b receive the test-completed semiconductor devices from the test site 10 and supply them to an outer side of the test site 10.
Fixed frames 13 traversing the handler body 1 are installed in the front side of the handler body 1 and an upper portion of just front side of the test site 10, respectively. A pair of moving frames 14a and 14b are mounted on the fixed frames 13 so that the pair of the moving frames 14a and 14b are movable in left and right directions along the fixed frames 13. Device transfer units 15 are installed to be movable in forward and backward directions along the moving frames 14a and 14b and pick up and transfer the semiconductor devices. The device transfer units 15 include a plurality of pickers (not shown) capable of picking up a plurality of semiconductor devices at one time.
Meanwhile, the handlers can generally test various kinds of the semiconductor devices, such as QFP, BGA, SOP, etc., in one apparatus. If one kind of semiconductor device is tested and then other kinds of semiconductor device needs to be tested, the trays and the change kits, such as the socking plate 7, the shuttles 8a, 8b, 9a and 9b and the test sockets 11, are suitably replaced according to the kinds of the to-be-tested semiconductor devices, so that the test operation is performed.
At this time, since the change kits replaced according to the kinds of the to-be-tested semiconductor devices are different from previous changes kits in size of the loading portion into which the semiconductor devices are loaded and its pitch, working periods of the device transfer units 15 must be again reset through a control unit (not shown) of the semiconductor test handler. In other words, as specifications of the change kits are changed, the positions in which the device transfer units 15 pick up the semiconductor devices are changed and thus all of the movement distance of the device transfer units 15, the pitches between the pickers (not shown) of the device transfer units 15 and elevation heights of the pickers must be again reset.
Meanwhile, a use checks the specifications of the change kits replaced as above one by one using a measurement jig, and inputs them into the control unit (not shown) of the semiconductor test handler, so that a programming is carried out and the working position is set. In that case, a probability of occurrence of error is increased during the inputting of them, and a time required to set the working position is taken long. In addition, there are problems that production per day is reduced and efficiency for the test operation is totally degraded. These problems may be also increased with an increase of the kinds and the number of change kits.
To solve the above problems, Korean Pat. No. 10-0261957, issued in Apr. 25. 2000, entitled “HORIZONTAL TRANSFER TEST HANDLER”, discloses that a CCD camera as an image input unit is installed in a device transfer unit that is an apparatus for transferring devices (semiconductor devices), and information of trays and change kits are taught using an image obtained by the CCD camera.
However, the above horizontal transfer test handler must set a reference position on a handler body so as to correct a position of the device transfer unit, and the process of recognizing and setting the working position of the device transfer unit is relatively complicated, so that the time required to set the working position is taken long.